Rabbits in Broomfield's Wildgrass area win reprieve

Resident paying to have trapped bunnies move to sanctuary rather than killed

RABBIT WILL BE RELOCATED: Some residents of the Wildgrass townhomes were upset over a plan approved by the HOA board to trap and then euthanize rabbits. One resident, Sally Tasker, will pay to have up to 200 rabbits relocated to an animal sanctuary. (David R. Jennings / Broomfield Enterprise)

CORRECTION: An earlier version of the story incorrectly stated that Tasker will pay Creative Acres to relocate the rabbits. Tasker will pay Animal and Pest Control Specialists to move the rabbits to Creative Acres, an animal sanctuary.

After residents in Broomfield's Wildgrass area protested a decision to trap and kill rabbits in the neighborhood, one resident has offered to pay for the rabbits to be transported to an animal sanctuary instead.

The HOA board representing the Wildgrass townhomes in April voted to bait, trap and kill rabbits that have become a common sight in the neighborhood.

The HOA argues the rabbits are overrunning the neighborhood and destroying property, but some residents protested the decision, because they did not know the rabbits would be killed after being trapped.

On resident, Sally Tasker, has volunteered to pay Animal and Pest Control Specialists to relocate the rabbits to an animal sanctuary. Creative Acres is a 44-acre animal sanctuary outside of Brighton.

"This is important to me," Tasker said on Friday. "I wake up, I look outside and see the rabbits. I wouldn't feel right knowing they are going to be killed."

Maxine Mager, Creative Acres president and founder, has agreed to take about 200 rabbits, Tasker said.

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Tasker and Mager must wait for approval from Colorado Parks and Wildlife before the rabbits are relocated. If Colorado Parks and Wildlife approves permits and paperwork, the rabbits trapped around the Wildgrass townhomes will find a new home at the sanctuary instead of being killed.

In the meantime, trapping started Friday and will last for about a month. Tasker hopes paperwork will come through quickly in order to save as many rabbits as possible.

"This has really upset a lot of the homeowners," said Kelly Tasker, Sally Tasker's daughter.

Kelly Tasker said neighbors are upset because they were not directly told the rabbits would be killed. Many believed the rabbits would be relocated.

About 70 homeowners attended an April meeting when the plans were decided, and no one opposed the plan at the meeting, according to a statement from the HOA.

Kelly Tasker said the HOA wasn't entirely honest about its plans.

The HOA "was pretty sneaky about the whole thing by saying they were going to 'remove' the bunnies," she said.

Tasker said the neighborhood is next to open space, which is a good habitat for the rabbits and other wildlife.

Tasker agrees rabbits are everywhere in the neighborhood — she can't walk a block without seeing at least four or five of them — but she said many people in the neighborhood would not have agreed to the rabbit removal if they knew the full extent of the plan.

Residents tried to put pressure on the HOA board to reverse the decision and find a more humane solution to the rabbit problem.

Creative Acres' Mager said the board had options instead of euthanasia, including transporting the captured rabbits to her sanctuary, spaying or neutering the rabbits or relocating them to other open space areas.

Calls made to HOA board members and the townhome management company were not returned, but the management company released a statement on behalf of the HOA to explain its decision.

The statement said many residents supported the decision to kill rabbits.

"This is what the Wildgrass Board of Directors has chosen to do in the best interest of the community. Damage caused by the rabbits is extraordinary in the community and the feces poses health risks," the statement said.

The HOA statement said the community has tried other means to control the exploding rabbit population, such as placing wire mesh in the rock retaining walls, bringing in dogs to chase out the rabbits and relocating the rabbits. The HOA even tried using plastic predators to scare the animals away.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife permits property owners to kill certain types of "nuisance wildlife" if the species is damaging property. Common animals on the state's list include cottontail rabbits, mice, voles and squirrels.

Animals must be captured live, according to the statute. The animal later is euthanized or relocated to an area that is within 10 miles of the capture site.

Animal and Pest Control Specialists was hired to trap and kill the rabbits, but Sally Tasker said the company is now working with her to organize the relocation.

Don Scadden, APCS operations manager, said his company often hears opposition from neighborhoods who don't want animals killed.

Sally Tasker said Scadden has been cooperative and communicative when she called about rabbit relocation ideas. Tasker has offered to pay APCS to relocate the rabbits, which will cost about $85 for each trip APCS makes to Creative Acres.

Tasker must pay a fee because the relocation area is more than 10 miles from her Broomfield neighborhood.

Since there is no way to tell how many rabbits might be trapped during the month-long process, Tasker said she doesn't know how much it might cost to relocate the rabbits. She could spend a few thousand dollars, she said.

Trapping will take place near the Wildgrass townhomes. The Wildgrass area also includes single-family homes, which are part of a different HOA not related to the decision.

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